FAQ FRESH START RETREAT THAILAND

Here at our Fresh Start  fitness and wellness retreats in Thailand we work hard and eat healthy. We expect your overall fitness and wellbeing to improve during your stay with us by being active and only eating healthy meals. We will measure your fitness with a before and after fit test and weigh in plus body stats measure during our FITNESS retreats only, there are no stats taken during our WOMANS WELLNESS RETREATS. Our aim is to help you improve your wellbeing and fitness levels by getting back to nature and showing you how wonderful different types of exercise can be . If weight loss is your goal, then we can help you with that during our intensive fun exercises and a healthy diet during our FITNESS retreats. We will advise you during your stay with us on how to achieve your differing goals, whether they are fitness or mindfulness related. If weight loss is your goal, the exact  amount of weight you could lose depends on lots of factors. These factors  include how much extra weight you are carrying , genes, your metabolism, current fitness levels and of course how much effort you are willing to put in! Please be aware that we cannot guarantee specific results and results vary from person to person. Please visit our Trip Advisor page to see what our guests are saying.

Yes! our programmes will help you to tone up and reduce your fat percentage. You can add some extra calories if weight loss is not your goal. Lots of our guests have fitness, mindfulness and health as their goals or just want an active holiday with some cultural and sight-seeing elements. It’s the perfect place to re-connect with yourself and to spend some time outside in nature.

At our Fresh Start fitness and wellness retreat holiday  in Thailand we promise that regardless of your current fitness level our programs and instructors will challenge you physically and push you to achieve your individual best whilst having fun and seeing the true beauty of Northern Thailand. Our Fitness and wellness Holiday Programs will increase your all round fitness levels, improve mindfulness and give you a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of every day living. Plus, at the same time you will meet like-minded people in a fantastic tropical setting. IF YOU HAVE ANY DISABILITIES OR INJURIES PLEASE GET IN TOUCH WITH US TO DISCUSS YOUR SUITABILITY FOR OUR PROGRAMS!

Doing our fitness and wellness retreat holiday will be a great way to get FITTER, LEANER AND TONED. We get many guests who have this as a goal and it’s amazing to see their transformation. Our wellness retreats will have days out cycling and walks plus healthy food choices, but will be a little softer and for woman only. Our fitness retreats are a little more intense, but are open to all fitness levels and for both male and female guests…Please contact us if you have any questions about which program you 

Please don’t worry our fitness and wellness retreat holiday is designed to kick-start your fitness and the body adapts very quickly. We get a real variety of fitness abilities and modify and adapt all the sessions so everyone can participate and achieve their goals. Our experienced instructors will test and monitor your fitness levels so you get the most out of each session.

Each fitness and wellness retreat day is different and very varied which our guests really like and enjoy. Our fitness and wellness retreat days start with a power walk and finish with yoga or aqua stretch.

A FITNESS RETREAT day may include circuit training, kettle bell classes, pilates, pool games, team games, cardio tennis and the exercise track which is set in a shaded mango grove. We also leave the Resort and have days out to experience Thai culture. Have a cycle day through Thai villages and beautiful water falls, visit an iconic Chiang mai lake, visit the highest temple in Chiangmai -Doi Suthep Temple, classes in  authentic Muay Thai boxing gym in downtown Chiang Mai (non – contact). We also use the facilities of Traidos Community which has an Olympic size swimming pool, tennis academy, sports fields and gym.

A WOMANS ONLY WELLNESS day may include the same amazing cycle ride day, lake walks and beautiful hikes through Northern Thailand, visits to amazing beauty spots but is a little less intensive than the fitness retreats and concentrates more on mindfulness, Yoga, pilates and healthy eating.

Pleases contact us if you have any questions about either the FITNESS OR WOMANS WELLNESS RETREATS.

Please don’t worry ! Our Fitness and Wellness retreat holidays are designed to kick start your fitness, No matter what level you join us at, you will be surprised how quickly your body adapts! We get a real variety of fitness abilities and can modify and adapt all the sessions so everyone can participate. Our experienced instructors will test and monitor your fitness levels so you get the most out of each session. You have 2 dedicated trainers with you all day every day, so they are able to monitor your progress so your goals can be best  met.

You don’t need to be able to play tennis at all to take part in cardio tennis, its a fun class which all of our previous guests have loved. 

YOU MUST BE ABLE TO RIDE A PUSHBIKE  at a basic level, our cycle day ( on mountain bikes) is relatively easy and is all on tracks and quiet roads with a support vehicle and instructors to help you along the way.  Don’t worry, if you get tired you can jump into the support vehicle for a rest!  

Please contact us if you have questions about our bike day.

Most people who attend our fitness and wellness retreat holidays come on their own and occasionally we have a couple or two friends coming together.

We are happy to tell you that the rain rarely affects the program and is it quite pleasant and refreshing if we do occasionally get caught in it. It generally rains in the late afternoon, evening or the night-time when we are sleeping. When it rains it comes in short bursts and does not last long so there is nothing to worry about. It is also a lovely time of year because the countryside is very lush and green.

Please let us reassure people that we do not shout aggressively at our guests, we are not a military style bootcamp! We only encourage in a positive and encouraging way. Moreover, all the fitness and wellness elements are fun but challenging physically, this gives our guests some new experiences. Richard, who devised the fitness retreat program is a veteran Physical Training Instructor in the British Royal Marines commando’s. In addition, Richard has added some fun boot camp style workouts such as team games and circuit training…which are all great fun!

 The accommodation choices include a beautifully furnished Homely Thai Lanna style villa with stunning views from its large shared balcony, large shared living room and kitchen with 5 very different Thai style rooms with in. Each private en-suite room has its own TV with Netflix, kettle, hairdryer, air-con, safe and has free wifi and  have been chosen with your comfort in mind. The beds are very comfortable and cosy to assure you have a good nights sleep after each fitness and wellness retreat day. 

We also have Lanna style town houses which have TV’s, fridge, air-con, safe and wireless Internet. This accommodation is on two levels, kitchen, lounge and down stairs toilet on the ground floor  and via a artfully designed wooden spiral staircase to the first floor you will have a large kingsize bedroom, wardrobe area and toilet and shower room. 

Pleases contact if you have any questions about the accommodation 

 We try to cater for all dietary needs during your retreat. We visit lots of different local restaurants during your retreats with varied menus and food choices. if you have any dietary needs please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate your food choices. We can also make amendments to the meals to cater for your dietary requirements. 

Please contact us if you have any food or dietary questions

When we receive your booking we will send you the recommended kit list for the fitness and wellness retreat holiday program. We will also send you a health questionnaire, the Fresh Start Fitness Bootcamp menu and a schedule.

Please contact us if you have questions about the kit list requirements.

Starting October 1, 2022, travellers may freely travel to Thailand. It is no longer required to possess Proof of Vaccination or a pre-departure COVID test.

Note: Travelers must check with their airlines the travel requirements in case they have a transit in a third country before arriving in Thailand.

There are no longer any Covid measures in place when visiting Thailand.

• Foreigners do not need to show proof of Covid Insurance.
• All mandatory hotel quarantine has been removed.
• Thailand Pass is no longer required for foreign travellers entering Thailand.
• Vaccinated and Unvaccinated travellers do not need to provide proof of vaccination to Thai authorities before arriving or on arrival to Thailand.
• HERE is the link to Thai Embassy Covid rules 

Yes, there is Free WiFi in all of our accommodation. There is also a nearby laundry service which is very cheap.

You will need to make  an initial 50% deposit to secure your stay with us. We will require full payment no less than 14 days before your fitness and wellness retreat starts. You can make payment via bank transfer, Stripe or Paypal. We will send  an invoice to you once you have made a request to book with us. 

1. Passport and Thai Visa

Starting October 1, 2022 until March 31, 2023, travelers will be allowed to stay for 30 days or 45 days without prior approval of a Thai visa.

During this period, the length of stay per visit will be 45 days for passport holders of the following countries/territories who may enter Thailand under a tourist Visa Exemption scheme: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Monaco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, The Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovak, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the UAE, UK, Ukraine, and the USA.

Also, during this period, the length of stay per visit will be 30 days for passport holders of the following countries/territories who may apply for a VOA: Bhutan, Bulgaria, China, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Fiji, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, Malta, Mexico, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, and Vanuatu.  The visa fee of 2,000 THB will remain the same for these countries.

In addition, passport holders of the following countries/ territories may enter Thailand without a visa under a bilateral agreement: Cambodia (14 days), Myanmar (14 days), Hong Kong (30 days), Lao PDR. (30 days, Macau (30 days), Mongolia (30 days), Russia (30 days and VOA), Vietnam (30 days), Argentina (90 days), Brazil (90 days), Chile (90 days), Korea (ROK) (90 days), and Peru (90 days).

We are sorry, but our dates can not be changed. If you wish to stay for a 2 week period with us then you can join the Fitness retreat from 23-30 December 2022 and then (if you are a female guest) continue onto our woman’s wellness retreat from 30th December 2022 to 6th of January 2023. we will be running more retreats in 2023 and will promulgate the exact dates soon.

We have a maximum number of 10-12 guests per fitness and wellness retreat, these places get booked up very quickly so we would advise booking early to avoid any disappointment.  

We are sorry, we only run adult only retreats. our age range for retreats is 16 upwards

The location where we host our fitness and health retreats is situated in picturesque Mae Rim district, very close by there is the Samoeng road and many other hotels such as the four seasons and other smaller resorts. There are  many attractions to see in and around Chiangmai –   http://www.chiangmai1.com/chiang_mai/mae_rim.shtml

The Resort’s address is 165 Moo4, T.Huaysai, A.Maerim, Chiang Mai, Thailand, 50180.

Richard WhatsApp ​+44-(0)7954-038284.

Richard Thomas for Facebook messenger.

Retreat Address
Fresh Start retreat 167 Moo4, T.Huaysai, A.Maerim, Chiang Mai, Thailand 50180.

Email
freshstartretreat@aol.com